Preview: Union vs FC Dallas

The Philadelphia Union (4-9-3) will
square off against FC Dallas (6-2-9) Sunday (6:00pm, FSC/FSE), the quickest
turnaround in the club's inaugural MLS season. After dropping a
hard-fought match at home to the Columbus Crew on ESPN2’s Game of the Week, the
Union will face another of the league’s toughest opponents on just two days
rest.

This time away from home, where
Philadelphia has struggled to a 1-7-1 record, the Union will face a Dallas side
that hasn’t lost in eight MLS matches after a 1-1 draw at Colorado last
weekend, the club’s league-leading ninth of the season. The hosts are
especially confident following a 2-2 tie against famed Serie A side Inter
Milan Thursday in front of 19,435 fans at Pizza Hut Park.

The Union are coming off a four-game
homestand at PPL Park in which the club went 1-1-2. The four points are far
from an accurate indicator of the quality displayed throughout the home
stretch, but the Union are nevertheless looking at a steep climb in their
remaining 14 matches if they hope to fulfill lofty aspirations of a first-year
playoff appearance.

Dallas won’t have to visit the
Union’s new home along the Chester waterfront in 2010, having played at Lincoln
Financial Field in Philadelphia’s second-ever home match on May 15. The last
meeting between the two clubs was a nail-biter, with Brek Shea’s 13th
minute goal forcing the Union to press forward throughout the match. After a
slew of chances were denied by goalkeeper Kevin Hartman’s standout performance, #1
overall draft pick Danny Mwanga finally broke though for the Union in
stoppage time to tie the match at 1-1.

The dramatic equalizer went on to
win AT&T Goal of the Week, but more importantly marked the beginning of
Mwanga’s emergence as one of the top up-and-coming stars in the league.

Philadelphia may be without Mwanga
again on Sunday, however, after the striker was forced to sit out against
Columbus with a groin injury. As has been the case all season, Sebastien Le
Toux will be counted on to shoulder much of the scoring load against the third
stingiest defense in the league (0.88 GAA).

Le
Toux has scored in three consecutive matches, with his four goals and four
assists in the last six matches playing a part in all but one of the club’s
goals in that stretch (since June 27). On the season, the all-star starter has
nine goals and seven assists, the best combined mark in MLS prior to Saturday’s
MLS schedule. Only Edson Buddle (12) and Juan Pablo Angel (11) have more goals,
and Angel has had three more matches to rack up his total than have Buddle and
Le Toux.

With game time temperatures
expected to reach triple digits, the Union’s aggressive, attacking style will
be put to the test. In their favor is the fact that FCD head coach Schellas
Hyndman gave the starting nod to all but two of his regulars against Inter.
Midfielder Eric Avila and goalkeeper Dario Sala were the lone changes, though
he used 19 players over the course of the game.

Matchups to Watch

David Ferreira and Brek Shea vs the
Union defense

Ferreira and Shea are Dallas’ two
most dangerous attackers, each with four goals on the season. Ferreira has been
particularly menacing for the opposition this season, earning the diminutive
playmaker his first all-star appearance. Continuing his strong 2009 form, a
season that saw the Colombian notch eight goals and seven assists, Ferreira has
tacked five assists onto his four goals in 2010. His speed and quickness can cause
problems for defenders, making it imperative that the Union deny possession
in much the same way they did against Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

Shea’s size and speed are also a handful to deal with in the defensive third, with the 20-year-old just
beginning to come into his own in his third MLS season. Playing mostly
centrally and to the left as an attacking midfielder, Shea will see plenty of Michael Orozco
Fiscal and Danny Califf on Sunday.

Attiba Harris must be monitored on
the right as well, and Jeff Cunningham is always a threat to score as a second
half substitute. The second all-time leading scorer in MLS is only one season
removed from a leading-league 17 goals, but has come off the bench for five
straight games. Cunningham hasn’t scored since his fourth goal of the season
May 8 vs. D.C. United, a span of 10 league games.

Justin Mapp vs Heath Pearce

Mapp showed pace, creativity and
strong possession skills against Columbus in his first start with the Union,
bringing a dimension the Union previously lacked along the left flank. While
none of the midfielder’s contributions led to goals against the Crew, it was
evident that Mapp has already begun to assimilate in Philadelphia’s attacking
scheme.

Mapp will often run into all-star
starter Heath Pearce in Dallas’ territory, and life won’t be easy against arguably
the premier right back in MLS. Pearce must also be watched coming forward, as
the U.S. international is tied for the club lead with five assists.

If Mapp can find a way to penetrate
Pearce and Dallas’ backline, the newcomer will have an opportunity to set up
his teammates with service from the left or break through on his own for the first time as a member of the Union.

Sebastien Le Toux vs Kevin Hartman

Despite needing a late equalizer to
steal a point from Dallas in the first meeting between the two sides,
Philadelphia could've easily come away with three points given the amount of
chances they produced. Standing in their way was Hartman, who was sensational throughout the match. The veteran ‘keeper made a number of acrobatic
saves, proving that he’s still among the elite backstops in MLS at age 36.

While Le Toux played the full 90
against Dallas in May, it was his first match back from a two-game absence
following a knee injury sustained against New York in U.S. Open Cup play. The Frenchman
didn’t appear to show any lingering effects from the injury, but he may have
been a little rusty after nearly three weeks off. Le Toux is just the
opposite now, and Hartman will likely be tested be the Union’s leading
scorer, who is fourth in MLS with 53 shots and second with 30 shots on goal.

On the season, Le Toux has played a
role in 16 of Philadelphia’s 20 goals, a staggering 80 percent that leads the
league. If Hartman and Dallas’ defense keep Le Toux off the
scoresheet, their chances of earning three full points against the Union will
increase dramatically.